Neil LockMy story: from the farm to tech
How a farmer's son raised on the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spectrum became a technology entrepreneur with 25+ years in the field — and why I count ADHD and autism as my superpower.
A farmer's son, drawn to technology
I grew up a farmer's son. What captivated me was the science of farming and the computer systems we relied on to run it — and that is what led me into technology, and later into search.
As a boy I was rarely far from a screen, playing and creating games for early machines such as the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spectrum. A childhood passion became a profession when I was about twenty, and I've worked in technology ever since — 25+ years.
Into search as Google arrived
I moved into SEO soon afterwards, as Google emerged. When the Panda and Penguin updates ended most SEOs' careers, mine carried on — because I had always done things properly, and because I adapt.
Automating before automation had a name
I have always loved testing what's new in technology. I was among the first to build automations and automated workflows, years before tools such as Zapier and n8n existed.
ADHD and autism: my superpower
I have ADHD and autism, and they have brought their own challenges — not least that I don't perceive danger the way others do. As a young boy, my father asked me to check that a water trough in a field hadn't overflowed. The field lay across a road, and I was so absorbed in the task that I never looked for traffic. I was hit by a car, thrown halfway up an oak tree, and broke my shin.
Yet ADHD and autism are my superpower. I see life in code, not the way most people see it. I read code at speed, because my mind searches for the one thing I'm looking for and filters out everything else. That same hyperfocus drives my coding, my SEO research and my work on anchor text distribution. No one should ever feel that ADHD or autism is a disability.
Living with ADHD and autism, you learn to build a little scaffolding around yourself, and Natalie is a great part of mine. I talk things through with her — less for advice than to be sure I'm doing the right thing.
By nature I'm placid and easy-going. Occasionally I become frustrated when I'm not understood — never rude, though to someone who doesn't know me it can look like anger. It's part of ADHD and autism, and it means I'm sometimes misunderstood.
How I work
I'm self-made, and I'll always put in the hours. If something breaks, I'll work through the night to fix it and set any plans aside to do so. I eat at my desk, and I don't stop until the work is done.
My mind moves quickly, and I've learned to keep pace with it: once it takes hold of a problem, it has to finish — otherwise I can't sleep. I teach myself fast, working things out from first principles and holding my work to the highest standards, to a scientific level, in pursuit of perfection.
Above all, I like to help. I'd rather be the one who explains how something works than leave people guessing.
Let's talk
Whether it's press, a partnership, SEO consulting or a question about something I've built, I'd be glad to hear from you.
Contact me